The Austrian Parliament offers a Fellowship Programme for employees of the parliamentary administrations of all six Western Balkan countries.
Through the Western Balkans Fellowship Programme, and in cooperation with the European Fund for the Balkans (EFB), the Austrian Parliament offers Fellowships to staff members of the Parliaments of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Participants complete a six-week work-placement in the Austrian Parliament and engage in a wide range of areas.
In order to deepen exchanges not only at the political level but also at the administrative level, and thereby contribute to the consolidation and development of democratic structures, a partnership was established between the Austrian Parliament and the European Fund for the Balkans (EFB). The "Western Balkans Fellowship Programme of the Austrian Parliament in Cooperation with the EFB" is the continuation of the pilot project "EFB Scholarships 2019/2020 in the Austrian Parliament". The Western Balkans Fellowship Programme is funded by the Austrian Parliament and implemented together with the EFB.
The Programme is aimed at employees of the national parliaments of the six Western Balkan countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
It offers Fellows a unique opportunity to gain insight into the workings of the Austrian Parliament, the internal processes of a parliamentary administration, and the role of national parliaments in the EU. Depending on their respective areas of interest, the Fellowship holders work in various departments of the Parliamentary Administration, for example in EU Affairs or in the National Council Services.
The call for the 2025/2026 Programme ran from 22 December 2025 to 6 February 2026 via the website of the European Fund for the Balkans.
The first two generations of Fellowship holders completed a six-week, work placement between September 2019 and fall 2021. The third generation took part in 2023, followed by the fourth in 2024.
In addition to the Fellowship, the ‘Joint Seminar’ is held every two years. During this event, the Fellowship holders strengthen their network and, together, familiarise themselves with parliamentary institutions such as the Court of Auditors or the Ombudsman’s Office, as well as other EU institutions based in Vienna. The seminar also offers the opportunity to deepen exchanges with bilateral parliamentary groups and other mandataries as well as to meet with representatives from think tanks.
Following the completion of the fifth cohort, an anniversary gathering was held at the end of 2025, offering former Fellowship holders the opportunity to network with all participants from across five cohorts and to engage with experts and Members of Parliament. In addition, an alumni network for the Western Balkans Fellowship Programme was launched, aimed at strengthening long-term exchange between all cohorts. The anniversary event also provided the setting for a meeting between the Secretaries General of the Parliaments of the Western Balkan states, Austria, and Slovenia.